“Then he'd come back home and found out that war didn't cause fear—love did.”

“Fortunately, he'd found that most people were easy to locate at five thirty in the morning.”

“He loved her beyond all reason and didn't expect her to love him back. He was just waiting for her to wise up.”

“Want to play some Battleship?”I wasn’t leaving him alone with that thing in there.Chad armed himself with a notebook, and we went to war. Historically, war has often been used as a distraction for problems at home.”

“Fear makes idiots out of us all, at some time or other.”

“Adam swore harshly. "New werewolves are dangerous, woman. Especially when they are cold and hungry." He looked at Mac, and his voice changed completely, the heat and anger gone, "Mercy, come here." I didn't look down to see what he'd noticed in Mac's face. I took a step, but Mac was wrapped around my left leg. I stopped before I fell. "Uhm. I'm a little stuck for the moment.”

“She gave him a happy look as he followed her out on the water-soaked wooden walk. "This could be fun," she said, then turned, took a running step, and did a couple of back flips—like a middle-school kid at recess. He stopped where he was, lust and love and fear rising up in a surge of emotion he did not, for all his years, have any idea how to deal with. "What?" she asked, a little breathless from her gymnastics. She brushed her wavy hair out of her face and gave him a serious look. "Is there something wrong?" He could hardly tell her that he was afraid because he didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to her. That his sudden, unexpected reaction had brought Brother Wolf to the fore. She threw his balance off; his control—which had become almost effortless over the years—was erratic at best.”